Just as expected!
Yaxiu cheered inwardly. As long as he pulled the operator, it was a victory!
That said, he first examined the newly obtained purple-glowing potion:
"Ruby Essence": A masterpiece of evil sorcerers. Gathering Silver, Golden, Sanctuary, and Legendary sorcerers as materials, they utilized a soul-refining miracle to extract the water of the Knowledge Sea, the golden rain of the Time Continent, the dream bubbles of the Distant Sky Realm, and the rubies of Ruby Mountain, ultimately compounding them to brew this wondrous secret elixir. Effect duration: seven days.
When consumed by an ordinary Legendary sorcerer exploring Ruby Mountain, their heterochromatic sorcery mana will slowly increase.
When consumed by an operator (Bond Link) exploring Ruby Mountain, their heterochromatic sorcery mana will slowly increase and flow into their bonded partner through the bond relationship.
When consumed by an operator (Bond Core) exploring Ruby Mountain, their heterochromatic sorcery mana will slowly increase and flow into all bonded partners through the bond relationship.
Yaxiu was taken aback, quickly realizing this was likely their greatest cheat on Ruby Mountain.
If the lockdown hadn't occurred, he, the Sword Princess, and the Witch could each have drunk a bottle of Ruby Essence and simply strolled around Ruby Mountain. Their heterochromatic sorcery mana would have rapidly grown without any need to fight tooth and nail through the sorcerer list.
Yet now, he was the only one on Ruby Mountain.
The Witch went without saying; she wasn't even in the Star Country, so there was no way she could enter.
The Sword Princess had likely discovered something was wrong. So long as she retained any reason, she would know to protect his physical body rather than enter to throw her life away alongside him.
Even so, even if only Yaxiu drank the "Ruby Essence," his exploration of Ruby Mountain would allow all operators to increase their heterochromatic sorcery mana together. If luck wasn't on his side, by the time everyone successfully condensed their fourth imaginary wings, Yaxiu might still be stuck in the Realm of All Stars.
The description of the Ruby Essence was rather intriguing, though. Could a bunch of evil sorcerers in the past have captured sorcerers to use as alchemy ingredients, only for these secret elixirs to be freely scavenged by the Search system?
Without delay, Yaxiu immediately drank the "Ruby Essence." Leaving the remaining two bottles for Igola and Harvey was just enough to go around.
A glass bottle suddenly appeared in his hand. He tilted his head back and emptied it in a single gulp, leaving Feili and Weixi—who were secretly watching him—somewhat puzzled.
Feili was merely curious where he had gotten the glass bottle, but Weixi faintly sensed the subtle yet distinct soul fluctuation emanating from it. This was a hallmark of souls squeezed to their utmost limit—a trace that only a soul demigod could possibly detect.
Such soul-refining methods could almost rival her own during her past life. Did Yaxiu actually have a soul demigod backing him?
After finishing the Ruby Essence, Yaxiu turned his attention to the main highlight of this search.
"Ruby Chains": A half-finished chain forged by the Divine Lord of Stars. Because it required complete domination over the target before it could be implanted, the prerequisite was overly harsh, leading to its abandonment. After being re-refined by a research team led by a soul demigod, it can now be used on any operator, granting control over the operator's actions upon use.
Yaxiu nearly spat out the Ruby Essence in his mouth. What?
Control over an operator's actions?
He read through the description carefully and realized the prerequisite was indeed harsh. After all, if you could already completely dominate the target, you wouldn't need this chain at all; no wonder the Divine Lord of Stars had cast it aside. But for *Aurora's Sorcerer Handbook*, all operators were considered in a state of complete domination, meaning Yaxiu could use this chain to control other operators.
Still, it was only control over their actions; Yaxiu couldn't control their thoughts. Even so, it was practically equivalent to total domination. Yaxiu could force an operator to do all sorts of things, like this and that, or that and this...
*Terrifying. To think such an evil item exists! I will absolutely never use it!*
*Unless... unless...*
Yaxiu racked his brain for a long time without coming up with an indispensable reason to use this chain, so he set the thought aside, deciding to consider it after leaving the Realm of All Stars.
"Dark Silver Lantern · Youlan Weise: When in darkness, all energy utilization efficiency increases to 300%."
This attire was undeniably powerful. A 300% increase in energy utilization efficiency meant 1 point of sorcery mana produced the effect of 3 points, and 1 source crystal could be used as 3...
Yaxiu paused, suddenly remembering something—*Aurora's Sorcerer Handbook* seemed to still treat the Silver Lantern god as an operator. In other words, he could equip this attire onto Silver Lantern, allowing her to utilize source crystals more efficiently and hold out a little longer in doomsday Senluo.
He attempted to equip the attire onto the grayed-out portrait of "Youlan Weise," and it actually worked.
Compared to the Ruby Chains, which might sit in his inventory collecting dust forever, this attire was perhaps far more meaningful.
Next... Yaxiu blinked at Feili. This sudden friendly gesture left the blonde, horned girl completely baffled.
*Come, let the team captain take a look at your stats!*
"Demon Maid"
"Elf race · Female · ??? years old"
"Bond Level: 0 (30% experience sharing)"
"Class: Spectre Prophet"
"Class Trait: Using soul/prophecy sorcery spirits yields 150% effectiveness; can exert limited soul/prophecy power even without sorcery spirits."
"Inherent Talent · Maid (Nominal): Extremely high probability of attracting sorcery spirits below Four-Wing to defect to her (cannot take effect due to incomplete soul); extremely high probability of missing all opportunities to obtain gods of Five-Wing and above; capable of actively summoning the mist of the Dusk Glow Dragon (talent level can be unlocked as strength increases)."
"Personal Stunt · Three Displaced Lifetimes: Good and evil, beauty and ugliness, justice and wickedness, ideals and wishes, order and chaos, family and friends—the thrice-reborn Demon Maid can no longer be bound by any chains. Her sole desire is supreme power. The more social connections the target possesses, the higher the Demon Maid's critical hit rate and critical hit damage; the Demon Maid ignores mental effects below the miracle level and drastically weakens miracle-level mental damage."
"Silver Blessing · ??? (Sealed due to incomplete soul)"
"Golden Blessing · ??? (Sealed due to incomplete soul)"
"Rainbow Blessing · ??? (Sealed due to incomplete soul)"
"?? Blessing · ??? (Sealed due to incomplete soul)"
"Held Items: None"
"Controlled Sorcery Spirits: Knowing and Guarding Fire Sorcery Spirit"
"Soul Faction: Demigod"
"Prophecy Faction: Demigod"
"Mind Faction: Legendary"
"Fire Art Faction: Legendary"
"Dream Faction: Legendary"
"Spear and Halberd Faction: Legendary"
"..."
"Training Policy: Not set"
Yaxiu rubbed his eyes. He looked at the elven maid in the portrait, then down at the ragdoll-like figure on the ground, suddenly noticing a discrepancy. "Your ears are only slightly pointed; they aren't real elf ears!"
"The Realm of All Stars mutates non-human races into humans." Weixi shifted uncomfortably. "I feel something strange... What are you doing?"
Yaxiu was in no mood to answer Weixi at all. He stared blankly at the portrait, a storm of curses raging through his head.
Why was the Demon Maid the Spectre Prophet?!
Feili was clearly supposed to be the demon maid! How in the world did Weixi have anything to do with being a demon maid?!
Could "demon" have referred to her personality all along, rather than race or class? And "maid"... don't assume wearing a maid uniform makes you a maid! The only reason this scumbag would ever put on a maid outfit is to assassinate her master, right?!
Is this damn system trying to make me set a precedent for executing an operator... wait?
Yaxiu opened his inventory, pulled out the "Ruby Chains," and looked back at the "Demon Maid." The bewilderment and fury on his face gradually dissipated, replaced by an eerie glint in his eyes.
Suddenly, a chain forged from rubies appeared in his hand.
"What a beautiful chain," Feili murmured.
"Sorry, I can't give this to you," Yaxiu said, crouching down and looking at the fiery girl. "This is a gift for Miss Weixi."
For the first time, a nervous expression appeared on Weixi's face. "What... what is that?"
Yaxiu smiled. "Could it be that the thrice-reborn, well-traveled Spectre Prophet doesn't know either?"
"You must be joking. The Void Realm is vast, sorcerers are countless, and sorceries are wondrous and bizarre. My knowledge is shallow; across my lifetimes, I have merely witnessed a fraction of it." The fiery girl's voice turned humble and submissive. "Mr. Yaxiu, you scaled Ruby Mountain at such a young age. Even with a Second Cycle, at your age, I had barely stepped into the Distant Sky Realm!
"As a sorcerer, you are far superior to me!
"I suddenly think what you said makes sense. Since I'm going to die anyway, why bother hoarding information? I'll tell you everything I know right now. The reason I entered the Realm of All Stars was because I had a secret deal with the Monarch of Wind, Rain, and Snow—that traitorous prime minister... What are you trying to do?! I'm warning you, don't push your luck... Ah!"
Too lazy to listen to her blather, Yaxiu thrust the Ruby Chains directly into her neck. The moment the Ruby Chains touched her, they split into two serpents. One coiled around her neck, forming an ethereal slave collar; the other wrapped around Yaxiu's wrist, forming an exquisite master bracelet.
At a glance, it was practically a replica of Yaxiu's collar and Feili's bracelet.
Weixi immediately closed her eyes, using her demigod senses to examine her soul over and over, yet she couldn't find a single change. Instead of feeling relieved, she grew even more uneasy—Yaxiu had definitely done something to her, but she couldn't even detect what had happened to herself!
She stared tensely at Yaxiu. Seeing green light emerge from his hand, her heart leapt with joy—yes, kill her! She would rather be reborn in her soul phylactery than stay here any longer!
However, Yaxiu's green light was aimed at her severed limbs. Combined with her inherent fire regeneration, Weixi's limbs swiftly grew back. Crawling barefoot on the ground, she watched Yaxiu warily. Yet Yaxiu took a step back of his own accord, as if completely unconcerned about her escaping.
*Whoosh.*
Flames suddenly erupted beneath Weixi's feet, propelling her dozens of meters away in an instant as she fled. Just as she was about to dart out of the campus, she heard a leisurely command drift from behind:
"Come back."
Weixi twisted her body forcibly midair and flew back in front of Yaxiu at the exact same speed. When she came to a stop, she didn't seem to have processed what had just occurred, turning her head to stare blankly in the direction she had just fled.
The next second, however, she conjured a massive flame halberd and smashed it viciously toward Yaxiu, her face contorted with savage malice. "You—"
"Kneel."
The flames instantly extinguished. With a sharp smack, Weixi dropped to her knees, all fours touching the ground, rear end raised, forehead pressed against the turf in an impeccably textbook kowtow.
Feeling the grass against her forehead and smelling the scent of the lawn, the fury inside her nearly burned through her gut. Unable to suppress her turmoil, her shoulders trembled with unbridled rage.
She—the Spectre Prophet, a demigod sorcerer, the Grim Reaper walking among mortals, someone who had slain a demigod as a Legendary sorcerer, turned the tables and slaughtered three angels as a demigod, a chaotic lunatic whom even Divine Lords had to respect—had actually knelt?
Yet following the rage came endless dread and bewilderment.
Her soul was completely dominated?! She was a soul demigod! Even with a Six-Wing miracle, it should have been impossible to dominate her soul so silently!
"Listen," Weixi said as calmly as possible, doing her best to suppress her emotions. "You did well this time; I admit you won. But if you think you can control me like this, you're dead wrong. I only need a little time to undo this state. Still, I'm willing to cooperate with you and even lend you a hand, provided you..."
"Peace, or dignity?"
Yaxiu asked languidly, "Peace means being dominated by me for the rest of your life. Dignity means... being forcefully dominated by me for the rest of your life. Without my order, you're not even allowed to die."
"This domination of yours cannot change my thoughts," Weixi glared at him coldly. "Even if you command me, I can undermine your orders to the greatest extent."
"You needn't worry about that. I have a deceiver friend who specializes in weaving airtight command sequences." Yaxiu paused. "Oh, right, I also have a necromancer friend."
"A necromancer skilled in domination?"
"No, but he's skilled at preventing suicides. After all, he understands death best and knows how to resurrect you from the dead." Yaxiu stood up. "I originally didn't care much for the necromancy faction, but you've changed my mind—even if you die, I will have you revived as undead, atoning for your sins for all eternity."
Suppressing her rage, Weixi tried her best to speak in a tone that sounded considerate of Yaxiu. "There's really no need for us to take things this far. You've already proven your strength. If we cooperate properly, I am willing to obey your orders from the bottom of my heart..."
"I don't need it to come from the bottom of your heart. I just want to see that pathetic expression of yours when you're forced to work for me while completely unable to kill me," Yaxiu said. "Starting today, you are my maid. You will wake up earlier than me and sleep later than me. All chores will be handled by you. In danger, you will stand in front of me—but don't worry, I won't let you die so easily.
"In the Realm of All Stars, you will serve me for now. Once we return to reality, I will formulate a thousand-year public community service plan for you. Trust me, you'll become one of the Ten Figures Who Moved the Six Nations every single year. All right, get up."
Weixi instantly materialized her flame halberd and leapt forward with a downward cleave: "I'll move your—"
"Kneel."
With a smack, Weixi once again collapsed into a prostrate kowtow on the ground.
Yaxiu glanced toward Feili. "Fun, isn't it? How about I make her do a somersault for you?"
Compared to Weixi, Feili was now noticeably more terrified of Yaxiu. She shook her head frantically. "No, no, please don't."
Yaxiu shrugged. "Let's go, Maid. If you want to kneel again, I don't mind you ambushing me."
Weixi stood up in silence and followed behind Yaxiu, taking the initiative to drop back beyond a safe distance of three meters with downcast eyes, resembling a genuine maid.
Yaxiu raised an eyebrow. "As expected of... the Spectre Prophet."
"Just kill me," Weixi said with utmost sincerity. "Otherwise, you will regret it."
During this entire time, Weixi hadn't ceased inspecting her soul, but she simply couldn't find the slightest trace. This was no longer something a soul miracle could achieve; this was practically... a miracle of domination tailored specifically for her, the Spectre Prophet!
It melded almost seamlessly into her soul and sank deep into her consciousness, completely cutting off even the option of abandoning her soul to be reborn again! She was certain that even if she swapped souls and changed bodies, Yaxiu's domination over her would never end!
Who on earth forged that item? Even if she had personally forged a chain for herself, it might not have been this flawless!
Chapter 795